#BehindtheSelfie with... Fernando Machado, Global CMO at Burger King
1. Where do you live, work and play?
I live in Miami and work everywhere, but mainly from our headquarters in Miami, next to the airport. I have fun at work, so I would say that I play basically everywhere.
But if you are talking about personal life, I love to cook a BBQ at home; go to the park with Leo, my 4.5 years old son; and go to the movies with my wife, Annie.
2. What’s your claim to fame?
I can tell the difference between an Impossible Whopper and a Classic Whopper. Just kidding… I can’t.
I think my claim to fame probably is having more advertising awards than most people working in advertising agencies.
3. Describe your career so far.
It has been a fun journey! I studied mechanical engineering in college and started to work in a Unilever factory as an intern.
Then I moved to marketing and worked in Brazil, Mexico, New York and London for Unilever. I took a year off to do my MBA in INSEAD while at Unilever, then moved to Burger King.
I love marketing, love different cultures and understanding the needs of people from different markets. I love creativity.
4. Tell us a few of your favourite things.
Spending time with my wife, watching movies, building Lego with my son, watching my football team play (Flamengo), putting together a BBQ, working on an exciting project.
5. What do you love about your industry?
Creativity.
6. Describe your average workday, if such a thing exists.
Wake up. Check emails before I should. Get mildly upset with some emails. Regret checking emails.
Eat something quick. Kiss my wife after she complains I am leaving without kissing her. Arrive at work (pretty fast in Miami). Meetings, meetings, meetings. Coffee. Meetings, meetings, meetings. Coffee. Emails during meetings (I shouldn’t be doing that…). Go back home.
Complain to myself that I haven’t had enough time to think about things. Open the door. Say hi to my dog, who is usually sleeping. Say hi to my wife. Try to do something fun with my wife such as going to the movies, cooking together or going for a walk. No work over weekend.
7. What are the tools of your trade?
These days, I use a lot of Twitter. Like, all the time. I read the news there, usually before it becomes news. I get feedback from our marketing stuff there. Sometimes ideas, too.
8. Who is getting it right in your industry?
Lots of people. I love our industry. The New York Times, Nike, ABI, my competitors.
9. List a few pain points the industry can improve on.
Lack of diversity.
10. What are you working on right now?
Lots of things… probably more things than I should. But I am really excited about the work we are doing in terms of product quality and sustainability. Stay tuned!
11. Tell us some of the buzzwords floating around in your industry at the moment, and some of the catchphrases you utter yourself.
I hate buzzwords. All of them. If something became a buzzword, it’s already too late to make any good use out of it.
12. Where and when do you have your best ideas?
When I can stop and think without worrying about the meeting that will start in 10 minutes.
13. What’s your secret talent/party trick?
I know all the winners of advertising award shows per award, category, agency, etc.
14. Are you a technophobe or a technophile?
Phile!
15. What would we find if we scrolled through your phone?
Pictures of my wife and my son. Bulls#it messages from my friends on WhatsApp. Lots of emails. A fantasy football app from the Brazilian football league.
16. What advice would you give to newbies hoping to crack into the industry?
Be obsessed about what you do. If you are not obsessed about our industry, go do something that you are really obsessed about. Life is too short.
Simple as that. Follow Machado on LinkedIn and Twitter; Burger King on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram; and the Nedbank IMC on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as theNedbank IMC press office for the latest updates. The Nedbank IMC Conference 2020 takes place on 19 March at The Galleria, Sandton. Click here to book your ticket!
About Leigh Andrews
Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
